Manzi
An invented name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from man or manzana.
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Manzi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Manzi today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manzi births was 2019 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manzi. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Manzi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2019
7 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2020 SSA rank
#11,478
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Manzi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manzi from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manzi by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Manzi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Manzi
The name Manzi originates from the Swahili language spoken in East Africa. It is derived from the word "mwanzi," which means "traveler" or "wanderer." The name can be traced back to the 16th century when it was first used by the Swahili people, who were known for their seafaring and trading activities along the East African coast and the Indian Ocean.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Manzi can be found in the Arabic travelogues of Ibn Battuta, a famous Moroccan explorer who visited the Swahili coast in the 14th century. He mentions encountering Swahili traders and sailors who went by the name Manzi during his travels.
The name gained popularity among the Swahili people due to their nomadic lifestyle and the importance placed on traveling and exploration in their culture. It was often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be adventurous and explore the world.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Manzi. One of the earliest recorded was Manzi bin Sultani, a Swahili merchant and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his extensive trade routes and travels throughout the Indian Ocean region.
Another prominent figure was Manzi al-Kilwa, a Swahili ruler who governed the coastal city-state of Kilwa in the 14th century. He was renowned for his leadership and expansion of trade networks, making Kilwa a prosperous and influential center of commerce during his reign.
In the 19th century, Manzi bin Dina was a celebrated Swahili poet and scholar from Zanzibar. His works, which often reflected the Swahili culture and experience, were widely celebrated and studied in East Africa.
Manzi Bakari, born in 1884, was a Tanzanian politician and activist who played a significant role in the struggle for independence from British colonial rule. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and worked tirelessly to promote the rights and freedoms of the Tanzanian people.
Lastly, Manzi Wa Nungu, born in 1920, was a renowned Swahili sculptor and woodcarver from Kenya. His intricate and detailed carvings, depicting scenes from Swahili life and culture, earned him international recognition and are displayed in museums around the world.
People
Manzi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manzi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Manzi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manzi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manzi going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Manzi a common name?
We classify Manzi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manzi most popular?
The single biggest year for Manzi was 2019, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manzi is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Manzi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Manzi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manzi in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Manzi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Manzi in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Manzi can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Manzi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Manzi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.